Flaneur Find: Winnipegisms vs Calgaryisms fun!
While flaneuring the shops at The Forks Market, I stumbled upon a booklet of Manitoba-isms and had to pick up a copy for my library.
I have often thought it would be fun to do a blog about Calgary-isms (i.e. unique words, phrases and place names) but have never gotten around to it. The booklet was the catalyst to finally do so.
The “Manitoba-isms: A Dictionary” has 48 fun terms and while a few are not specific to Winnipeg, it could have easily been called Winnipeg-isms as the City and the Province are pretty much synonymous, given there isn’t another major city in the province.
Sample Winnipegisms
The Boler: An eye-catching tiny trailer invented in Winnipeg in 1968. Who knew the iconic “egg on wheels” was from Winnipeg?
Confusion Corner: This intersection is so famous it shows up on Google Maps. It is just south of City Centre where Pembina Highway, Osborne St, Corydon Ave, and McMillan Ave all meet at strange angles.
The Burt: Slang for the Burton Cummings Theatre. Originally called the Walker Theatre, it was renamed in 2002 after the celebrated Winnipeg-born singer, Burton Cummings.
Dainties: An assortment of small, sweet treats served on a tray at social events.
Duff’s Ditch: It refers to the floodway around the City that was constructed in 1962 to prevent the city from flooding. It was named after the province’s premier at the time, Duff Roblin.
Folklorama: Is the world’s largest and longest-running multicultural festival in which over 40 cultural pavilions are presented throughout Winnipeg.
The Forks: The place where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet. It has been a meeting place for indigenous people for over 6,000 years. Today, it is home to several tourist attractions - market, children’s museum, human rights museum, baseball park, man-made beach and more.
Garbage Mitts: A type of mitt worn in the winter that looks like the ones worn by waste workers. And still made by Rabes Glove Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Golden Boy: The statue the sits on top of the Manitoba Legislature building.
Imperial Cookie: A sandwich cookie filled with jam and topped with a white glaze (and often a tiny bit of a cherry on top).
Jeanne’s Cake: A famous log-shaped cake from Jeanne’s Bakery that features a cookie crust and chocolate shavings on the side. It has been a Winnipeg staple for over 80 years!
LC: Also known as “Liquor Commission,” it refers to Liquor Marts, i.e. government owned liquor stores where everyone - regardless of age - must show ID that they are 18+ to enter.
Mosquito: They are jokingly referred to as the Manitoba’s provincial bird.
The Perimeter: A highway that loops around the city, with lots of traffic lights.
Portage & Main: A major intersection in downtown, considered to be the windiest place in Canada.
Pothole: Winnipeg is considered by many to be the Pothole Capital of Canada with good reason as the cement roads are full of thousands of potholes. Up to 11 crews operate between 7:00 AM and 11:00 PM to patch roadways every day from Spring to Fall.
River Trail: In the winter Winnipeg creates the world’s longest skating rink along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, meeting at The Forks.
Sals Nip: A famous burger from the local restaurant chain - Salisbury House.
Slurpee: Winnipeg is officially the Slurpee Capital of the world!
Social: A fundraising party – often for wedding, charitable or community organizations, that usually held in a community centre that features cheap drinks and loud music.
Transit Tom: Created in 1959 to promote public transportation, it was a well-used phone number you would call to find out Winnipeg’s bus schedule and reach an actual person. Transit’s Tom’s image popped up now and then till the early 2000s.
Whiteout: No, not a blizzard, but a Winnipeg tradition where fans dress in white to cheer on the Jets (NHL hockey team) in the playoffs.
Winnie The Pooh: A lovable teddy bear created by A.A. Milne inspired by “Winnie” a bear cub owned by Lt. Harry Coleboum (in WW1) and named after his home town of Winnipeg.
Lt. Harry Coleboum and Winnie at Assiniboine Park.
Sample Calgaryisms
Beltline: The neighbourhood just south of downtown (separated by the railway tracks). One of the densest neighbourhoods in Canada, it is named after the historic Route No. 5 "Belt Line" streetcar operated by the Calgary Municipal Railway in the early 20th century. The trolley route wound back and forth from 17th Avenue SW to downtown in manufacturing beltline-like fashion.
Blue Ring: A controversial large metal blue hoop on the side of bridge just off of Deerfoot Trail near the airport. A functioning “street light” and the real name for this public artwork is “Travelling Light.” Very few people like it, but it does have its own X (formerly Twitter) tag: @Giant Blue Ring.
BUMP: Stands for Beltline Urban Murals Project. This initiative which started in 2017 and has resulted in 150+ large-scale murals mostly in the Beltline and downtown. It includes the tallest mural in the world at 95 meters.
The Caesar: The iconic cocktail made with vodka, clamato juice and Worcestershire sauce, finished with a celery salt rim, which was invented at the Westin Calgary in 1969.
Chinook Arch: A cloud formation that forms over the Rocky Mountains west of Calgary forcing warm dry wind down the eastern slopes that can warm up the city by as much as 20 degrees Celsius in a few hours.
Chicken-On-The-Way: an iconic Calgary fried chicken institution, serving locally sourced, never-frozen chicken and legendary sweet corn fritters since August 1958.
The Chucks: The world’s premier chuckwagon event that takes place during the Calgary Stampede evening show. Guy Weadick introduced the first official competition at the 1923 Calgary Stampede to recreate the urgency of old ranch hands racing to establish the best campsite after a cattle drive.
Deerfoot 500: Some Calgarians love to drive Deerfoot Trail (the city’s major north/south highway) as if they were in the Indianapolis 500 road race.
The Jube: short for the Jubilee Theatre. Construction started in 1955, the year of the Alberta’s 50th Anniversary and completed in 1957. There is a sister theatre in Edmonton.
King Ralph: Ralph Klein served as Mayor of Calgary for nearly a decade. He became King Ralph after winning his second and third terms with 85 and 93 % of the vote respectively.
Lanny: Lanny McDonald’s relationship with Calgary is one of the most revered in the city's sports history, rooted in his iconic leadership, helping the team win their only Stanley Cup in 1989.
LRT: Calgary was the second city in North America to have a light rapid transit system. Today, it has one of highest riderships in North America. It is also known by old-timers as “Little Ralph’s Train” in reference to Ralph Klein, the Mayor when it open in 1981.
Fat Cats: This refers to a statue of two plump businessmen on Stephen Avenue (main street) engaged in a conversation. It is one of the City’s most popular photo op spots!
Float The River: Every summer weekend, thousands of Calgarians float down the Bow and Elbow Rivers in rafts of all shapes and sizes. It is a colourful flotilla.
High Performance Rodeo: This not a rodeo, nor a type of gasoline, but an annual, 40-year old international festival of theatre, dance, comedy and music.
Peace Bridge: An iconic and controversial “fire engine red” pedestrian bridge over the Bow River in downtown Calgary. The design and construction of it was anything but peaceful. Some have nicknamed it the “War & Peace” bridge.
Plus 15 (or +15): Not a 15% sales tax but rather an enclosed elevated walkway that consists of 80+ pedestrian bridges (15-feet off the ground) connecting 100+ buildings at the second floor creating a 16-km maze. It is longest skywalk in the world.
Sea of Red: Is when Calgary Flames fans fill up the arena with everyone wearing a red hockey jersey. The "Red Mile" is the famous nickname for a stretch of 17th Avenue SW in Calgary, which became a legendary hub for massive, spontaneous street parties during the Calgary Flames' 2004 Stanley Cup playoff run.
Shag: Is the nickname for people who live in the community of Shaganappi like to call it!
The Ship: Is short for the Ship & Anchor, Calgary’s iconic pub, with the best patio in the city. The patio is open year-round and is very popular during winter Chinooks.
Trails: There are 14 major roads called “trails” across the city. Mcleod Trail (it follows the trail that linked Calgary with Fort Mcleod), Edmonton Trail (yep, it was once the trail to Edmonton) and others have indigenous references like Deerfoot Trail and Crowfoot Trail (two legendary indigenous men) and Sarcee, Blackfoot, Peigan, Stoney and Tsuut’ina are all First Nation names. And note: Bow Bottom Trail doesn’t refer to anyone’s buttocks.
The Tower: Refers to the Calgary Tower, (once called the Husky Tower), that was the tallest structure in the City when built in 1968. It has an observation deck and fine dining revolving restaurant.
White Hat: The white cowboy hat that became an international symbol of Calgary during the 1948 Grey Cup, when hundreds of Calgary Stampeders fans wore them to Toronto, famously giving many away to locals and generating national goodwill.
Yahoo!: Is what you say at Stampede time when you are having fun – NOT Yee Haw!
Last Word
Every city has it local, quirky sayings and slang terms. Send me yours and I will add them to this blog.
As we were leaving Winnipeg I found this shirt at the airport and had to add it to my t-shirt collection.
